Milan Lucic
Power forward who won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins.
Milan Lucic, a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is best known for his physical power-forward style and for winning the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, the team with which he spent his first eight NHL seasons.
Born in East Vancouver on June 7, 1988, to Serbian parents Dobrivoje and Snežana, Lucic grew up a fan of the hometown Vancouver Canucks, with Todd Bertuzzi among his favorite players. He attended Killarney Secondary and was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease at age 15, a condition that curves the upper back and gave him a hunched posture. His maternal uncle, Dan Kesa, played in the NHL for the Canucks, Penguins, Lightning, and Stars. Lucic has two brothers, Nikola and Jovan.
Lucic nearly quit hockey after being overlooked in the 2003 WHL bantam draft. He played briefly for the Junior B Delta Ice Hawks before earning a spot with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL. He made his major junior debut with the Vancouver Giants in 2004–05, joining them full-time the next season. In 2005–06, he helped the Giants win a WHL title and reach the Memorial Cup. The Boston Bruins selected him 50th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, a pick their scouting director admitted they were fortunate to get.
The following season, Lucic led the Giants in scoring with 68 points in 70 games. Though the Giants lost the WHL Finals, they hosted and won the 2007 Memorial Cup, with Lucic assisting on the tournament-winning goal and earning the Stafford Smythe Trophy as MVP. In 2011, the Giants honored him with "Milan Lucic Night," inducting him into their Ring of Honour, and fans voted him the team's best player of all time.
Lucic signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins in August 2007 and made the NHL roster at age 19. His first NHL game was a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars on October 5, 2007, where he fought Brad Winchester. A week later, he scored his first goal—a game-winner against Jonathan Bernier—and recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick by also fighting Raitis Ivanāns and adding an assist. After three seasons, he won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.
After eight seasons in Boston, the Bruins traded Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015. He spent one season there before signing as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1988-06-07
- Birth Place
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 3
- Weight Lb
- 236
- Position
- Left-wing
- Shot
- Left
- Played For
- Boston Bruins / Los Angeles Kings / Edmonton Oilers / Calgary Flames / Fife Flyers
- Ntl Team
- Canada
- Draft
- 50th overall
- Draft Year
- 2006
- Draft Team
- Boston Bruins
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lucic played major junior hockey for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he captured the Memorial Cup in 2007 and was named tournament MVP. He was selected 50th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2006 NHL entry draft and made the Bruins' roster at age nineteen in 2007–08. In his rookie season, he recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick in his first week and finished with eight goals and 27 points, earning the Bruins' Seventh Player Award. Three years later, he won the Stanley Cup with Boston.
After eight seasons with the Bruins, Lucic was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015. He spent one season there before signing as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016. Following three seasons in Edmonton, he was traded to the Calgary Flames in July 2019. He later briefly returned to Boston before being released due to a domestic violence arrest. After a year out of hockey, he played parts of the 2025–26 season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Fife Flyers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), then announced his retirement in 2026.
At international level, Lucic captained the Canada junior team at the 2007 Super Series. He played a physical, power-forward style throughout his career.
Reader's Guide
Milan Lucic's career is notable for its arc from a late-second-round draft pick to a key contributor on a Stanley Cup-winning team. His physical style and willingness to fight made him a fan favorite in Boston, where he spent his first eight seasons and won the Cup in 2011. His trade to Los Angeles in 2015 marked the end of his first tenure with the Bruins, and subsequent stops in Edmonton and Calgary extended his NHL career to 17 seasons. A domestic violence arrest led to his release from Boston during a brief return, and after a year away from hockey, he played in the AHL and the EIHL before retiring in 2026. His legacy includes being named to the Vancouver Giants' Ring of Honour and voted by fans as the team's best player of all time. Off the ice, his early life included a diagnosis of Scheuermann's disease at age 15, which caused a hunched posture, and he nearly quit hockey after being passed over in the WHL bantam draft.
Did You Know?
- Lucic was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease at age 15, causing a hunched-over posture.
- He recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick in his first NHL week, in an 8–6 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
- His maternal uncle, Dan Kesa, played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars.
- Lucic's 2007 Memorial Cup ring was stolen from his home in East Vancouver in July 2008; he was later given a replacement ring by Vancouver Giants ownership.
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